Itinerary, tour dates and prices
Friuli Venezia Giulia Photo Gallery
wine tasting with winery owner (right)
Discover Friuli Venezia Giulia in northeast Italy, largely undiscovered by mainstream
tourism, an area with stunning Alps, idyllic wine country hills,
beautiful beaches on the Adriatic, lively cities like Udine
and historical centres like Aquileia and Cividale.
Since
time immemorial, this region has been a trading hub for Austria to the
north, Slavic regions to the east, Venice to the south and points
beyond to the eastern Mediterranean, so its foods combine middle
European, seafood, mountain fare and Italian dishes with dashes of
cinnamon and raisins. In your cooking lessons with a self-taught
local chef in her home, learn to make local delicacies that blend these
influences, like potato gnocchi with plums, minestra with beans,
potato and sauerkraut, and fish soup with polenta.
vineyards in the Collio Orientali
wine country
The
tour’s center lies in the heart of the Collio Orientali wine country,
famous for its outstanding whites like Tocai, Pinot Bianco, Pinot
Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Many red wines are also
exceptional like Collio, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot.
In picturesque Cividale, you stay in
friendly family-run B&Bs in the historic centre. As you meander down the narrow, winding streets,
you visit a square where the market has continued since Roman
times and admire medieval
and Venetian Gothic buildings.
You
also visit San Daniele to savor its world renowned rich and salty
prosciutto and the beautiful and inspiring alpine town of Venzone that
residents rebuilt themselves after it was destroyed in the 1976
earthquake.
One afternoon you visit Udine, the region’s capital, with a distinctly
Venetian feel. As you stroll past the Piazza
della Liberta, you see the lion of St Mark, symbol of Venetian power.
The castle on the hill offers beautiful views of the
surrounding plains and Alpine foothills.
detail of amazing mosaic floors
in Aquileia church
A highlight is the visit to Aquileia, one of the most well
preserved ancient Roman cities in the world, set on the Adriatic. In the
exquisite basilica, you marvel at Byzantine frescoes and the largest early Christian mosaic floors.
You’ll leave this diverse region with new friendships, a refreshed
state of mind and memories of gorgeous rural Italy that many believe
has been relegated to the past.
Itinerary, tour dates and prices